African Armyworm

Spodoptera exempta (Walker)
Figs. 45, 62, 69, 125, 137, 230-234, 320, 350, 382, 414, 446, 483-485, 531
Agrotis exempta Walker 1857a: 355. Prodenia bipars Walker 1857b: 724.
Prodenia ingloria Walker 1858: 1679.
Laphygma exempta; Hampson 1909: 261; Warren in Seitz 1914a: 322.
Prodenia metriodes Bethune-Baker 1911: 511. New synonym.
Spodoptera exempta; Brown & Dewhurst 1975: 243; Sugi 1982: 764; Holloway 1989: 136; Poole 1989: 923; Edwards 1996: 324.
Diagnosis. — Color and pattern most similar to S. itmbracidata, but the male of S. exempta has filiform antenna (Fig. 18). Forewing ground color gray to light brown, orbicular spot oval, white, outlined in black. Male genitalia with clasper proper elongate, bent at middle at almost a right angle, well below apex of valve (Figs. 320, 350). Ampulla a minute lobe at base of clasper proper
ventral plate of ostium bursa convex (Fig. 446); fine dense scales on 8th segment black.
Description. Adult Male. — Head: Basal segment of labial palpus cream with median patch variably mixed with black and rufous scales; median segment black mixed with cream scales; apical segment a mixture of cream, brown, and black scales. Frons with short scales cream (can be suffused with gray); long scales cream (can be suffused gray); lateral spots at eye margin black; vertex white to cream. Antenna filiform; scape cream; flagellum cream (annulated brown).
Thorax: Patagium basal half gray, apical half lighter. Tegula light brown (gray scales on lateral margin). Mesothorax light brown. Underside of thorax white. Pro thoracic femur fuscous and cream; tibia with lateral scale tufts not extending beyond first tarsal segment, rufous, fuscous, and cream, subapical spot absent; tarsal segments fuscous, proximal and apical ring cream on segment 1, apical rings on segments 2 and 5 cream, no apical rings on segments 3 and 4. Mesothoracic femur fuscous and cream; tibia cream, rufous, and fuscous; inner spur less than twice length of outer spur, mediolateral surface broadly devoid of scales on both spurs; tarsal segments fuscous with cream apical rings. Meta thoracic femur cream and fuscous; tibia cream and fuscous; first tarsal segment cream mixed with fuscous, segments 2-5 fuscous with cream apical rings.
Forewing: Length, 10-14 mm; ground color gray to light brown; basal line black; R vein not a contrasting color; basal scale patch between R and Cu veins absent; basal half circle scale patch be-
low Cu vein absent; antemedial line black; claviform spot absent; basal scale patch absent; gray patch covering anal cell and half of cell CuA2 absent; oblique brown mark from fifth outer marginal spot to vein CuA2 absent; curved white line from antemedial line to postmedial line absent; orbicular spot oval, cream, with buff to brown center, outlined in black; reniform spot cream outlined in black, apex with a white V-shaped mark, center black; white scales along Cu vein from orbicular spot to junction of veins M3 and CuAl which extend down veins M3, CuAl, and CuA2 to postmedial line; postmedial line black, from just below costa to posterior margin, wavy; postmedian band with an indistinct, round, black spot along subterminal line; black scale patches in middle of cells Ml to M3, with or without faint patches in R5 and CuAl in postmedian area; subterminal line white, indistinct; apex with a white patch; black triangular-shaped spots along outer margin; fringe gray. Underside ground color pale gray; outer margin with black spots; reniform spot darker, indistinct.
Hindiving: Ground color white suffused with light brown; apex, outer margin, and veins with light brown scales; fringe light brown to pale gray at apex and median line, becoming white toward anal veins. Underside ground color white; outer margin with gray triangular spots in middle of cells Sc to CuAl; no spot on underside.
Abdomen: Dorsum pale gray; venter cream and gray; disto-lateral black spots on sternites absent; 8th tergite with spiculate patches absent on caudal margin.
Genitalia: Uncus evenly curved; slender, gradually narrowing toward pointed apex; setae absent or few. Scaphium elongate, weakly developed. Tegumen lacking a pair of projecting arms on upper third. Costa sinuate (Figs. 320, 350). Costal process a minute knob; at base of costa on inner edge; perpendicular to costa of valve. Cucullus apex round; not produced. Anellifer with lightly sclerotized plate bearing setae absent. Ampulla a minute lobe at base of clasper proper (Fig. 62). Clasper proper slender, elongate; apex pointed and hooked; curved toward sacculus; extends to well below apex of valve (Figs. 62, 320, 350). Clavus absent. Sacculus narrow, width less than 0.2 length, tapering distally; apex pointed. Valvula wider than valve; well differentiated from valve, apex free; apex round; indentation with
base of ventral margin near apex of sacculus, slightly curved. Coremata moderately elongate, approximately 0.5 or less length of valve; composed of a single lobe. Juxta a narrow elliptical band, median process triangular-shaped, ventral margin concave. Anellus membranous. Vinculum U-shaped with a narrow base. Aedoeagus straight; coecum smaller in diameter than shaft; patch of spines absent on apex of membranous sheath surrounding aedoeagus. Vesica curving dorsally; short, less than 0.75 length of aedoeagus; apicobasal cornutal patch a wide ribbon; short, extending to just beyond apex of aedoeagus; cornuti in form of minute flat granules; lateral cornutal patch a narrow elongate ribbon; composed of large spines; dense cornutal patch subapical on vesica; distal cornutus many large spines.
Adult Female. — Essentially as described for male except:
Forezving: Length, 13-15.5 mm. Ground color gray; basal line black; antemedial line black; oblique brown mark from fifth outer marginal spot to vein CuA2 absent; reniform spot cream outlined in black, apex with a white V-shaped mark, center black; postmedial line black, from just below costa to posterior margin, wavy; apex lacking a white patch; black triangular-shaped spots along outer margin; fringe gray. Underside ground color pale gray; outer margin with black spots; reniform spot darker, indistinct.
Abdomen: Fine dense scales on 8th segment black.
Genitalia: Ventral plate of ostium bursa wider than high; distal margin convex; ventrolateral invaginated pocket of 8th sternite absent. Ductus bursae moderately elongate (length 2-3 times width); completely sclerotized. Appendix bursae membranous. Corpus bursae bulbous, length less than twice width; striate convolutions. Signum at middle of corpus bursae; elongate, length greater than 1.15 mm; almost vertical.
Larva. — See description, p. 106.
Type material. — Agrotis exempta Walker. The holotype 8 [BMNH] is labeled: Holotype; [Locality unknown]; Noc. Geni. Slide No. 585 8. Type locality: unknown.
Prodenia bipars Walker. The holotype 9 [BMNH] is labeled: Holotype, Queensland, Moreton B, S. Diggles, 57-130. Type locality: Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia.
Prodenia ingloria Walker. The holotype 8 [BMNH] is labeled: Holotype Queensland, More-
ton B, S. Diggles, 57-130. Type locality: Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia.
Prodenia metriodes Bethune-Baker. The holotype 8 [BMNH] is labeled: Holotype, N. Nigeria, D. Cator; Noc. gen. Slide 3807 8. Type locality: N. Nigeria.
Material Examined. — Specimens were examined from the following countries: Aldabra Atoll, Angola, Australia, Botswana, Cameroon, Cook Islands, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kiribati, Line Islands, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sumatra, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, United States (Hawaii), Yemen, Zimbabwe.
Distribution (Fig. 531). — Spodoptera exempta is widely distributed in southern Europe, the islands of the Mediterranean, the Ethiopian Region, Aldabra Island in the Indian Ocean, the Australasian Region, and throughout the South Pacific to Hawaii.